


The Lengths We Go To

by pandorabox82



Category: Criminal Minds
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-05-26
Updated: 2016-05-26
Packaged: 2018-07-10 10:51:07
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,877
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6981340
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pandorabox82/pseuds/pandorabox82
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Spencer discovers that Will is cheating on JJ with a younger woman, he begins to lose his grip on sanity as he decided to make Will, and all others that might hurt his Jayje, pay dearly. Will the team be ready to pay the price necessary to bring justice to JJ? *Will include multiple character deaths*</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This story, it should be noted, is a massive A/U, inspired by my good friend and fellow author, Jekkah.

"Stop it, Will!" Spencer turned his head to look at the young woman giggling and shouting in the park, obviously horsing around with someone. He was well aware that immediately connecting that girl's Will with JJ's was something the mind did, and didn't expect to see the man standing there, his arms wrapped around a dark haired young woman, a playful grin on his face.

"What are you gonna do, cher?" he drawled out, and Spencer ducked behind a tree to watch them interact, his brain whirling around with the implications of what he was seeing. Will brought her to the ground, kissing her passionately as she giggled and batted at his chest. "Loser has to pay the penalty, you know that."

"I know. How much longer do we have?"

"Just a little bit. I have to pick my son up from daycare in about forty minutes." The girl nodded and sat up, holding her hand out to Will so that he would help her to stand. Spencer felt his stomach roil violently as he watched them run over to the soccer ball and begin to kick it back and forth once more.

_Will is cheating on JJ. JJ loves Will. Why would anyone do that the one that they're supposed to love? Maeve would never have done something like that to me, that was what Diane did to us._ Rage began to fill his body as he continued to watch them, his hands clenching into tight fists.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Dinah," he finally said, kissing her deeply before squeezing her ass in public. That further disgusted Spencer and he had to fight to keep from shouting out at the man, from pounding his face into a bloody pulp. It was an odd reaction, he realized, and was never more grateful for his phone buzzing against his thigh. Pulling it out, he saw that JJ was paging him to the BAU.

Throwing one last glare at the pair, he stalked off towards the FBI campus, leaving them behind. He was panting from both anger and exertion by the time he stepped into the bullpen. Looking up at the ready room, he saw that the others were assembled already and he tried to calm his breathing as he took the steps two at a time.

"Hey, Spence, it looks like we caught a bad one, in New Orleans. We haven't been back there since…"

"Since Will moved up here to be with you. I know." He heard how short his voice was with her and mentally kicked himself for reacting that way. She would know something was up and ask about it in three, two, one…

"Is there something bothering you, Spence?"

He looked into her wide blue eyes and felt something inside his mind just snap. There was no way that he could let Will continue to treat his Jayje with such disrespect. He would have to pay for his misdeeds, and he was certain that he could make that happen. "I was just reminded of Maeve again today. I know it's been a few months, but I can't seem to get her off my mind."  
"I don't think that you will ever forget her, I really don't. You were so in love with her and you can't just turn those feelings off." She pulled him into a tight hug and he returned the embrace, finding a center of calm in the midst of the storm of what he knew to be true. "Now, we have to get this case briefed so that we can come home."

"Yes." They walked into the room and he took his seat next to Blake. The woman looked over at him in concern, as if she knew the anger that was coursing through his veins. Nodding slightly to her, he tried to focus on what Penelope was telling them about the case. It was hard, though, he kept replaying the scene from earlier in his mind.

Finally, Hotch announced that it would be wheel's up in thirty minutes and he pushed back from the table to amble down to his desk. Grabbing out his go bag, he made his way over to the elevator, a plan forming in his mind of what to do about the Will situation. First, he needed to surveil him a little more, and find out how deep his feelings ran for this Dinah.

_Dinah_. The name even sounded like Diane, the woman who had stolen his only happiness from him. After he made Will pay, she would be the next to go down. He smiled a little at the thought of making Will suffer for every hurt he had paid to Jayje, even if she had no knowledge of it. The doors to the elevator slid open and he joined Morgan and Blake inside.

"What is on your mind, Pretty Boy, to put that smile on your face?" Morgan asked as he pressed the button for the parking garage.

He shrugged, knowing in that moment he would have to more carefully school his features, so as not to give anything away. His plan would rely on complete and utter secrecy and perfection. "Just imagining the good times I had talking to Maeve." He saw the look of sympathy that flickered across the other man's face and knew he had fooled him. Glancing over at Blake, he saw her frown slightly, and for the first time, he was sorry that she was a member of their team.

"Isn't Will from New Orleans?" she asked as they continued down.

"Uh huh. I wonder if JJ is going to tell him where we're headed to. I know Will would have loved an excuse to ride down with us and visit his family still there."

It took everything in Spencer not to scoff at Morgan's words, instead nodding in agreement. "Yeah, but I think it would be rather hard to pull Henry out of preschool to take him along as well," he replied. "Henry loves going to school."

"Maybe that's because he loves his godfather. You saw who he dressed up as for Halloween, that says a lot."

Morgan was right, it did say a lot that the boy had chosen to dress as him rather than his father for Halloween. "So, we got this case rather late in the day. How much do you think we'll be able to accomplish before we settle in at the hotel for the night?" he asked, wanting to draw them away from that line of thinking.

"I'm not sure. There is a lot of data to go over. From what I could gather, it appears as if this unsub has been active for twenty or more years, and the only reason we're on to them now is because they made a mistake."

Blake nodded in agreement. "Or he could have gotten sloppy. Twenty years is a long time to be cautious about covering your tracks."

"There's also the arrogance factor. The unsub may have thought that he was too good to get caught and that led him to his mistake. I mean, look at that guy in Portland a few months ago. I mean, he could have continued on for years if he hadn't assumed that the cops were all a bunch of yokels." He knew that his term bothered Blake, since she pulled a face, and he shrugged. "Well, he did use that terminology."

"I know, but you could be a bit more respectful." In that moment, she sounded a lot like his mother and he frowned a little as he looked at the floor. "I'm sorry, I don't mean to be so harsh." She reached out and rested her hand on his upper arm, and he sighed, letting her rub his arm gently. It was going to be a long case.


	2. Chapter 2

The case in New Orleans had taken longer than they had expected, and Spencer was glad to be headed home facing a bit of a medical reprieve. He had cracked a few of his ribs and had been ordered to stay home and catch up on paperwork while the others worked out in the field.

He had acted upset, but inside, he was gleeful at knowing this would afford him time to watch Will and find out what his routine was. And so, when the team headed out to Montana two days later, he waved dejectedly to them, struggling to keep from showing just how happy he was at being left behind.

Chuckling a little, he turned back to his work, knowing he wanted to get a lot accomplished before he took off for a long lunch. This was the one time that he was grateful for his speed reading ability and he quickly finished the pile off before heading out for the day.

The first place he headed to was the park. Spencer had done his homework, and had managed to finagle Will's work schedule from JJ, giving her the excuse that if he could, he would be more than willing to help him look after Henry. She had seemed grateful to him, and willingly handed over a copy of his schedule for the next month. Spencer had noted the days that Will had off, and would likely be out with his lover.

Will was as predictable as he was a jerk, and Spencer had no problem finding him out on the lawn. The girl, Dinah, was with him, and she was laughing about something he had said to her. Quietly, he crept closer and closer to them, grateful that there was a large oak tree close by that he could hide behind.

As Spencer listened, he picked up brief snippets of their conversation. "Will, when are you going to tell your wife that you fell in love with me?"

There was something so unsure about the way she asked that question that Spencer wavered for a moment in his hatred of the home wrecker. " _Cher_ , you know I can't tell her now. She's still dealing with her little boy toy and his grief over his little pretend girlfriend getting killed." Those words alone sent his blood pressure spiking through the roof, and he had to clench his hands into tight fists so as not to rush around the tree and beat the man into a bloody pulp.

"I read about that in the paper. It was so tragic. Mama said that she was amazed he went back to work as quickly as he did."  
The odd comment got him to thinking, and so he almost missed them saying goodbye to each other. Peeking around the tree, he watched them walk off in opposite directions, and he decided to get a little more intel on the girl. Spencer made sure that Will hadn't noticed him before beginning to follow after Dinah.

It was easy to follow her, as she had her long dark hair in a thick braid down her back. There was something about her walk that seemed very familiar to him, and he struggled to place where he could possibly know her from.

It wasn't long before his ribs started to really bother him, and he had to rest against a building to catch his breath. By the time he looked back up, the young woman was gone and he let his shoulders slump in defeat. Shifting the messenger bag a little, he hailed a cab and asked to be taken back to his apartment.

After paying, he limped up to his floor, barely making it inside before collapsing on the couch. His phone buzzed against his leg and he pulled it out of his pocket, smiling when he saw JJ's number on the display. "Hey, JJ," he said, hoping he sounded like he wasn't in too much pain.

"Spence, how are you feeling? You sound like you're in pain."

"I think I may have overexerted myself a little this afternoon. I went home early, since my side was hurting a little. But enough about me, why did you call?"

"I forgot that Henry's babysitter has class tonight, and Will's shift got switched at the last moment. Would you be able to watch him tonight and take him to preschool in the morning? I already cleared it with Hotch, so you could be a little late getting in tomorrow, if Strauss okays it, that is. Can you do us this favor?"

Spencer smiled a little, thinking about being able to spend time with his favorite little guy. "I think that would be okay, Jayje. Just have Will call before he drops him off."

"Thanks so much, Spence. We really miss you out here on this case, by the way. It just isn't the same without you."

There was something so melancholy about the way she said those words that he had to smile sadly. "You just know that without me there you have to work harder. At least I know I'm needed."

"You will always be needed, I promise you that. I have to go now, Will should call in the next hour or so. Talk to you later!"

They hung up and Reid rested his hands on his stomach. And then, the thought hit him – this was his chance. His chance to make Will pay for what he had done to JJ. It was perfect, really, that the team was on an assignment and he was stuck here with an injury. Obviously, it was Fate's way of saying that he should take the opportunity for what it was worth.

Sitting up, he began to plot out the various ways that he could get away with taking care of Will. If he were to take care of him, that would mean giving up his one way of finding out who Dinah was and where to find her. Yet it seemed to be the only plausible solution to end Will's callous treatment of his Jen. "All right, I guess I've decided that, then."

Going to the medicine cabinet in his bathroom, he pulled out the bottle of Ambien he had gotten from his doctor when he mentioned he couldn't sleep without seeing Maeve's death. It would only take a few of these to get Will to slumber, and then from there, he could work out the rest of his plan.

A diabolical smile crossed his lips as he went over what he was going to say to Will when he called to tell him that Henry was "sick". Since JJ was out in the field, he would have to come over and find out what was wrong, and from there, everything would fall into place. He was more than certain of it. Reid just had to make sure that Henry didn't see anything. It would kill him to know that he had unintentionally hurt that sweet little boy.

Sighing, he set the bottle of pills on top of his fridge, certain that Henry wouldn't be able to reach them there and yet knowing that they were within close reach. He loved it when a plan came together as easily as this one.


	3. Chapter 3

"You said that Henry was ill?" Will drawled out as he stepped into his apartment, looking around anxiously. "Is he okay?"

Reid shrugged a little as he let the man inside. "I got him to sleep a few minutes ago. My mom always said that was the best thing when I wasn't feeling well." In all actuality, he had given him a small dose of cough medicine, knocking him out. He knew it wouldn't hurt Henry in the long run, he had done enough research to tell him that.

"There is that. Maybe I should just take him home, though. My boss got someone to cover the rest of my shift tonight, so I'm good to go there."

He nodded absently, heading into the kitchen to pick up two cans of soda. He had laced the cola, which he knew Will preferred, with enough ketamine to keep him contained for the time it would take to get him up to the cabin. "Here, why don't you drink this while I go and check on him? He might not be fully asleep yet, and you wouldn't want to startle him."

Will smiled as he took the soda, gulping it down. "Thanks, Reid." He nodded as he took a seat in the chair next to the sofa. Surreptitiously, he checked his watch, starting a timer in his head. "Hey, do you think you could watch Henry more often for us? Our normal babysitter is going to be taking some courses over the summer, and she might not be free when we need her."

"I suppose I could do that," he replied, intently watching Will. It soon became evident that the drug was doing its job, as Will's head began to droop on his chest. Then he slumped forward and Reid smiled, setting aside his soda and getting up from his chair.

Going over to the kitchen, he grabbed out a can of beer and splashed some in Will's mouth before spilling some on his shirt. Then he fumbled around in Will's pocket before fishing out his keys, slipping them into his own pocket. "Too bad someone can't hold their liquor," he said with a giggle before maneuvering Will up in his arms and getting him over to the door. "I'll be back before you know it, Henry," he said lowly as he closed the door behind him.

It was rough getting Will over to the elevator, but eventually he managed it. When Reid got down to the lobby of his building, he stumbled a little getting the man out. One of his neighbors heard the noise he made and looked over at them from the mailbox. "Dr. Reid! Is everything okay?" he asked as he came over.

"No, I was babysitting for my coworker tonight, and her husband came over to pick up their son, drunker than a skunk. I'm going to run him home, but I need help getting him out to the car. Could you give me a hand?"

"Certainly." Jared got on the other side of Will and draped his arm around him. Together, they got Will out to his car and Reid unlocked it with the keys before helping Jared get him in the back. "Do you have someone to watch the kid?"

"No, but he should be okay in the short time it takes to run him home and get back."

"Nah, I'll have Millie run up and watch the tyke until you get back." Jared smiled and Reid nodded, knowing better than to argue too much and arouse suspicions. Fishing out his apartment key, he handed it over to the man and then got behind the wheel of Will's car. "Drive safely!" he heard the man call out and he waved in response, pulling out into the rapidly darkening twilight.

Reid knew that he would now have to hurry, in order to get back to Henry, and he pulled his cellphone out of his pocket, calling a local taxi company and hiring a taxi to bring him home from the cabin. Pushing the pedal to the metal, he drove just above the legal speed limit, going faster when he felt it safe to do so. Making it to the cabin in about ninety minutes, he figured he had about ten minutes to get Will squared away before the taxi got there.

It was a struggle to get him in the cabin and then onto one of the chairs that Gideon had left there. It had worked out in his favor, Gideon leaving him the cabin, seeing as how he needed it now. Looking around, he finally found some pieces of rope and quickly tied Will up, making certain that the knots were tight and secure. "Sleep well, Will. I might be by tomorrow, if I can get away. Don't worry, though, you can survive about eight days without water."

Chuckling lowly, he left the cabin, locking the door behind him while he waited for the cab to appear. Tapping his foot anxiously, he let out a deep breath. This was really happening, he had actually put his plan into action. He had never thought that it would be possible, but here he was, Will captured in his cabin and just waiting to die. Now was when he really had to plan and plot. There were a lot of details that he still had to get perfect, like the fact that he would now be the last person who had seen Will alive.

"So many loose ends to wrap up," he murmured as he saw the headlights of the cab come up the drive. It pulled behind Will's car and he hurried over, getting in the back.

"So, why did you call me out to a remote place like this when you have a car to drive?" the older man asked, his voice making clear that he thought it was a waste of his time to pick Reid up.

"The car wouldn't start, and the tow company refused to come out this far this late at night. I have to hitch a ride with them in the morning to get the car towed. So much for insurance, huh?" he tried to joke as he closed the door. The driver made a noncommittal noise and carefully turned around in the drive and then asked for the address he wanted to be dropped off at. After Reid had given him the necessary information, they both fell silent, something he was glad for, since he had a lot to think about as they drove along.

His phone buzzed and he pulled it out, wondering who was texting him so late. He saw JJ's name and his breathing picked up a little. _Hey, Will texted to say that Henry's sick. Is everything okay there?_

Quickly, he tapped out a reply. _Yeah, I think I was just overreacting a little. Henry felt warm, so I gave him some baby aspirin, and he perked right back up. Sorry for the false alarm. I sent Will back to work._

Her reply was quick. _Oh, good, thanks. Have a good night!_ Smiling, he sent back the same message before tapping the phone against his chin, wondering what to do about the situation he was now faced with. He had to make certain that his lies did not pile up too much, as that was the major thing that tripped unsubs up. He had to keep things simple. It was the only thing that would keep him from being found out.


	4. Chapter 4

Henry woke him up early the next morning, and Reid groaned a little as he opened his eyes. It was too early, after the late night he had put in, but he knew that Henry would not get back to sleep. "Morning, kiddo. Did you sleep well?"

Henry nodded before patting his tummy, looking expectantly at him. "Breakfast, Uncle Spencer?" he asked, nodding along with his question.

"Sure, buddy." They got out of bed and Henry ran out to the kitchen, opening the refrigerator door. "What do you want?"

"Cereal? Please?" Reid nodded as he pulled out a box of Frosted Flakes. Pouring it in two bowls, he added the milk that Henry pointed to and then helped him up onto the counter, letting him eat there. "Where's Daddy? I thought he would pick me up this morning?"

Reid took a deep breath before smiling at his godson. "Your daddy is a little tied up at the moment. I'm going to take you to work with me, and have you stay in the daycare while I work. Would that be all right?"

Henry cocked his head, a move that Reid often did himself, watching him. "But I want to see my daddy."

The slight whine in the child's voice grated on Reid's nerves and he gritted his teeth, smiling at him. "I'm sorry, buddy. You know how busy it gets with his work, it's a lot like your mom's. Am I so awful to be with?"

He shook his head quickly, breaking out in a grin. "No, Uncle Spencer. I love you!" He kicked his feet against the cupboard beneath him as he ate, chattering on about what was happening at preschool. It was a lot to take in, and Reid just found himself nodding along to the words spilling out of Henry's mouth.

The phone ringing interrupted the boy and Reid smiled at him as he answered. "Hello?"

"Hey, Spence. Did Will ever show up at your place last night? I tried to call his cellphone, but it went straight to voicemail. His partner said that he went over to your place last night, and then he never came home."

JJ's voice sounded so worried, and he sighed lightly, knowing he was partially responsible for it. "He did," he said lowly, looking at Henry, who was eating happily.

"What is it you're not saying?"

He sighed, moving into the living room. He needed to start weaving the web of lies, and making sure that they were believable. The fact that JJ wasn't in front of him as he went to say what he was about to helped immensely. He was certain that his friend would have been able to see the truth written in his eyes. "When he came over last night, he was drunk. Thankfully, Henry was sleeping, so he didn't see it, but I still had to help him downstairs and drive him home. One of my neighbors looked in on Henry until I got back. I didn't think it would be wise if I left Henry in his care while he was like that."

He heard JJ make a low sound of disapproval and a quick smile flashed over his face. "You made the right decision, Spence. He…sometimes has trouble holding his alcohol. I would too, if I had gone through what he went through."

"That's an excuse, Jayje," he said before he could stop himself.

"You don't think I know that? I have to make an excuse for him, otherwise…But, anyway, how is Henry this morning?"

"He looks good, and the slight fever is gone. I'll be running him in to preschool as soon as we get dressed here."

"All right. Watch over him, Spence, okay? I know that Dinah is going to pick him up after she gets done with classes for the day and take him home. I would never have imagined…"

"Imagined what?" he questioned, wanting to know more about this Dinah who was sleeping with Will.

"Well, that Strauss's daughter could be so sweet and loving. She's the complete opposite of her mother. Or, perhaps, she shows a different side to her children than she shows to us. I mean, she has been nicer lately. Or maybe I'm just reading into things. It's just, I've really grown to like her daughter."

He took a deep breath. "Sometimes we don't see things clearly. Sometimes, we only see what we want to see."

JJ laughed lightly. "There is so much truth to that. But sometimes, we have to look at it that way. It would hurt too much if we saw things as they truly are." She sighed, and it was in that moment that Spencer knew she had a deep well of sadness in her. "I should go. Tell me if you hear anything more from Will, okay?"

"Sure, Jayje. I'll talk to you soon." They hung up and he looked down to see Henry looking up at him, his eyes big and sad. "What is it, buddy?"

"Was that Mommy?" He nodded. "Why didn't she talk to me?"

"She's just very busy right now, little man. But she told me to tell you that she loves you." He held out his arms and Henry hugged him tightly, letting Spencer pick him up. "So, are you ready to go to preschool? Dinah's going to pick you up today."

A grin broke across his face and he hugged Spencer tightly. "Yes! I love Dinah! She lets me braid her hair."

A wave of guilt swept across his mind and he tightened his hold on his godson. He didn't want to hurt him in this way, but Will and Dinah needed to be punished for cheating on JJ, for betraying her trust. "I'm glad that you like Dinah. Does she take good care of you?"

Henry nodded, snuggling in closer to him. "And she tells the bestest stories, Uncle Spencer. She's been telling me about Tri, Tir…"

"Tristan and Isolde?" he asked, shocked that she would know anything about that story cycle.

"Uh huh. She said it was a better story than King Arthur."

"That is a completely and utterly stupid thing to say," he muttered as he carried Henry into the bedroom and got him changed for the day. Maybe it wouldn't be so difficult to punish her after all. And now that he knew who she was related to, it would be that much easier to track her down and learn her schedule in preparation for when he would enact his retribution. All he had to do was be patient.


End file.
